Eric Mohrman

Pears are a low-calorie, practically fat-free source of dietary fiber, vitamin C and other nutrients. Saute them in a frying pan for an alternative to eating them raw. It's a quick and easy process, and you can eat cooked pear slices as a snack, on ice cream or in yogurt, or dressed up to resemble pie filling without the fattening crust. Bartlett, Bosc and Anjou pears are well-suited to cooking in a frying pan, holding up to the heat and maintaining their shape. For the best results, saute pears that are not quite ripe and have no bruises, rotting, discoloration or other damage.

A bunch of pears.
(Image: Comstock/Stockbyte/Getty Images)

Step 1

Wash the pears thoroughly under cold water. Rub them dry with paper towels.

Step 2

Cut off the sides of each pear parallel to the core with a non-serrated knife. Then cut the separate pieces into slices of the desired thickness. Or you can cut the pear into thin slices perpendicular to the core, discard the ends and cut the core out from each circle and remove any seeds still attached.

Step 3

Melt 1 tbsp. of unsalted butter per pear in a medium frying pan over medium high heat. Stir in 1 tbsp. of sugar, brown sugar or honey per pear, if you like. Add cinnamon, nutmeg or allspice to taste as other options. Also consider a splash of orange or lemon juice.

Step 4

Saute the pear slices for two minutes. Flip them over with tongs or a spatula.

Step 5

Cook the pear slices for about another three minutes, until they become golden and as tender as you want them.

Step 6

Remove the cooked pear slices from the frying pan to prevent further cooking.